Some people have been a little puzzled when I told them I am staying local for my first vacation of the year. The truth is I always take time off right when the high school season ends, and I have no desire to go away.
I am going to do many of the things people take for granted but I enjoy and have not been able to do consistently for a long time. Sleep late. Read books. Go to the movies. Have dinner with friends. Take a few day trips.
I have signed up with one of the local establishments that caters to top athletes to do some more serious training. I have been so busy covering others that I have partially neglected my own fitness and want to get back into my old form.
Mostly, I am not going to write. Which means that this blog will be going dark until I return on July 7, when we will have more updates on Khairi Fortt, more posts from Taylor Zito and Patrick Murphy, more video interviews and hopefully some new ideas to keep growing this space.
(Taylor Zito is coming off a stellar sophomore season as the pitcher for Stamford High School’s softball team, leading the Black Knights to a league playoff berth and a win in the state tournament. Zito will be writing about her travel ball experiences this summer.)
By Taylor Zito
Hi, my name is Taylor Zito. Today I will be telling you about myself and my background with softball. I am currently the starting pitcher for Stamford High School’s softball team.
I started playing when I was just five years old, but it wasn’t till 2½-3 years ago that I started pitching. Having an older sister who pitched (Brittany Pia) gave me something to look up to, and that is what influenced me to start pitching.
This past year was my first year at Stamford High, I went to Westhill for my freshman year. Coming from another school I thought it was going to be hard for me to adjust. I was proven wrong though. The girls on my team were very welcoming and it didn’t take long for me to feel like I was at home.
I didn’t expect that I was going to get so far this year.I have grown dramatically since the beginning of the season. I am very proud that working 5-6 days a week in the offseason paid off. I felt very pressured knowing I was going to be the starting pitcher as a sophomore. It was mixed emotions between being nervous and being excited. I knew people were expecting so much from me, so I had to try my best to show everyone that I was able to “hang with the big girls.”
Now that high school ball is over, I play for a summer team called Tradition South, with Tommy Pia as my coach. On my team we practice twice a week and play in tournaments on the weekend. It is a good experience being able to play with girls from all around. But the highlight of this summer season is that we get to go to Utah in mid July for a national tournament.
I am very honored with my accomplishments this year and also being the MVP for Stamford High School’s softball season. I know I said I grew a lot this year but that doesn’t mean it is time for me to settle. I know that I still have space to grow, it’s all a stepping stone experience.
Stamford High School linebacker Khairi Fortt returned yesterday from a visit to the University of North Carolina. Fortt said the school’s stock has gone up after his two-day trip.
“I had a real good time,” Fortt said. “I like the campus, I like the coaches, they treated me well. The team is a good family to be around.”
Fortt did not get the chance to meet the Tar Heels’ head coach, Butch Davis, who was away on a family commitment. Fortt got to stay with Deunta Williams, one of the nation’s top safeties.
Fortt’s travel schedule is not letting up. He will be going to see Rutgers on Sunday, return Tuesday, then leave Thursday to Tennessee for the July 4 weekend.
(Patrick Murphy had a strong sophomore season, earning a starting job on the Trinity Catholic High School baseball team. Murphy will be writing about his experiences playing this summer).
By Patrick Murphy
Coming into this spring baseball season, I had no idea what to think — would I be good enough to make varsity or would I make JV? I had worked hard during the winter hitting a couple of times a week, but I was still only a sophomore.
When my name was called the first day to practice with the varsity, I felt a sigh of relief but knew I would have to work hard and prove myself to Coach Nichols and Coach Walsh or I could just as easily get sent down to JV.
As I was walking out to practice, carrying the bag of helmets, I looked at the other kids on the team and realized that I was surrounded by upperclassmen that I looked up to but were my friends from football, baseball and hockey. Knowing that I was close to most of the seniors and juniors made me more comfortable and helped me just to play my game. But I still had to prove myself to the coaches and the only way I could do this was to practice and play hard.
After 2 weeks of practices and scrimmages, our opener against McMahon was a day away. Coach Nichols pulled me aside and told me that I was going to start at first base — holding back a smile I answered “Yes Coach.”
Although I was starting, I knew I had my work cut out for me — as we were facing Todd Lyons — a very good pitcher. When the game started I felt my nerves jumping, especially before my first at bat. As I was taking my warm up swings I kept reminding myself what my dad and my Little League coach, Bob Robustelli, always told me “nice easy swing, don’t try to hit a home run — hit the ball back up the middle.”
I went 2 for 3 that day and after it hit me that I would be alright if I just kept it simple. As the season went by I had a lot of confidence due to how comfortable I was playing with the juniors and seniors and how I realized I wasn’t playing varsity baseball but simply playing baseball with friends.
As the season went on our team played some great games — beating Westhill early gave us a lot of confidence. We also beat some very good teams — Ridgefield, Wilton and Staples — to qualify for the states. And while we lost to Stamford High, it was a great game — especially when you’re playing against all the kids you play with all summer.
When the state tournament came around, it was another new experience for us, but we were relaxed and ready to go. We won our first 3 games and found ourselves in the Class S semifinals. We lost a tough game to Stafford but I know our team will remember that game and learn from it for next year.
Looking back on this year, I was really happy with all the success we had, but we came up a little short. We were a lot more competitive than people thought we would be but we still have unfinished goals — win a city title and not only make FCIAC and states, but win both.
Lastly, I owe a lot of thanks to Coach Nichols and Coach Walsh for giving me a chance this year and believing in me. I would also like to thank all my teammates, especially Nick Cortese, Steve Scalero, Ryan Walsh, Jayme Antonetti and Mike Scatturchio, for making me feel comfortable and part of the team even though I was just a sophomore.
Ask anyone about Taylor Zito and they will tell you she is funny, personable, warm-hearted…..and a pretty good pitcher. Zito just finished her sophomore season for the the Stamford High School softball team, leading a senior-dominant team to a league playoff berth and a win in the first round of the state tournament.
Zito has agreed to be a guest blogger and share her travel softball experiences here this summer.
So what better person to kick off our new interview series (and help me test out my new iPhone!) than Zito, one of the rising stars on the Stamford sports scene.
Stamford has become accustomed to basketball players making the leap from high school to the highest level of Division I college ball, mostly from the recent parade of Trinity Catholic boys players.
But rarely has the city seen it happen with a football player, and certainly not at the plane that Stamford High’s Khairi Fortt has reached. Considered among the top linebacker prospects in the country, Fortt already has offers from Notre Dame, Miami, Tennessee, Virginia, Penn State and is involved with USC and top SEC programs.
I just finished a good interview session with Fortt and his father, Guy, who among other things is a prominent scout, for a column in tomorrow’s paper.
And the two have agreed to take us inside the world of big-time football recruiting and the entire process. So we will be starting The Fortt Chronicles, as we follow Khairi on his college visits, his summer workouts, and the Stamford High School football season right up until he announces his decision (and hopefully beyond).
Fortt is leaving on a two-day trip to North Carolina tomorrow, and the hope is to put up the first post on Friday, right before I start my vacation.
In addition, with the summer baseball and softball seasons kicking off, we have lined up two guest bloggers, rising stars coming off of big sophomores seasons at their respective high schools. Taylor Zito, who had a strong debut pitching for Stamford High, and Patrick Murphy, coming off a big year playing third base for Trinity Catholic, will be sharing their insights.
It seems like a reasonable question: when you are writing a blog about high school sports, and the high school sports season is over…..
Now what?
For one, the blog is not shutting down for the summer. Sometime this week I will announce a new pair of guest contributors who will take us inside the travel softball and summer baseball circuit. We will also keep track of what area athletes are doing, and perhaps branch out into other sports topics.
And, as I try to expand my technological horizons and have fun with my new iPhone, I hope to soon be adding video to the blog, perhaps starting with an interview series so athletes can tell you what they are up to and their views.
So happy Father’s Day, a good start of summer to all and keep checking back. We’ll be here.
The members of the Westhill High School softball team have had a season of ups and downs, so perhaps it is no surprise that they will have to wait a little longer for the highlight of their year.
The team’s trip to Yankee Stadium tomorrow has been rescheduled because of the forecast for rain.
The Vikings will now be attending the June 30 game with the Mariners, where they will be on the field for batting practice and the national anthem.
